By Hallie Sikes • Many people will begin the new year with grand resolutions for exercise, healthy eating or other major lifestyle changes. As a physical therapist of 14 years, I think all of those are great ideas. Sometimes people succeed in carrying through with these big changes. Sometimes I have a heavy caseload in February because people injured themselves jumping into high-intensity exercise routines. People often have more success and carry-over with making one simple change and building gradually.
In my integrative physical therapy practice, Therapy for Living, I focus on treating the whole person as well as physical pains and pelvic floor dysfunction. The one exercise I teach all of my patients – because it dramatically affects physical and mental health – is diaphragmatic breathing.
To start, take a moment and just breath as you normally do and notice where your body expands. Next, envision the respiratory diaphragm, the flat muscle at the base of your rib cage. As you breath in, the diaphragm drops down toward your belly. You should feel your lower rib cage and upper abdomen expanding. Then, as you exhale, visualize your diaphragm relaxing back up into your rib cage. Try to take a couple of minutes each day and work on your breathing at your desk, in your car, in bed, or any free moment.
Diaphragmatic breathing literally affects everything in the body. The movement of the diaphragm stimulates the vagus nerve and immediately helps calm the nervous system. It aids in digestion and sleep, helps lower blood pressure, helps with bladder control and, of course, helps improve breathing and lung expansion.
Sometimes the most dramatic life changes start with a very small step!